Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance
31. We
also express our deep concern whenever indicators in the fields of, inter
alia, education, employment, health, housing, infant
mortality and life expectancy for many peoples show a situation of
disadvantage, particularly where the contributing factors include
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
32. We
recognize the value and diversity of the cultural heritage of Africans
and people of African descent and affirm the importance and necessity of
ensuring their full integration into social, economic and political life
with a view to facilitating their full participation at all levels in
the decision-making process;
33. We
consider it essential for all countries in the region of the Americas
and all other areas of the African Diaspora to recognize the existence
of their population of African descent and the cultural, economic,
political and scientific contributions made by that population, and
recognize the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance that specifically affect them, and recognize
that, in many countries, their longstanding inequality in terms of
access to, inter alia, education, health care and housing has
been a profound cause of the socio-economic disparities that affect
them;
34. We
recognize that people of African descent have for centuries been victims
of racism, racial discrimination and enslavement and of the denial by
history of many of their rights, and assert that they should be treated
with fairness and respect for their dignity and should not suffer
discrimination of any kind. Recognition should therefore be given
to their rights to culture and their own identity; to participate freely
and in equal conditions in political, social, economic and cultural
life; to development in the context of their own aspirations and
customs; to keep, maintain and foster their own forms of organization,
their mode of life, culture, traditions and religious expressions; to
maintain and use their own languages; to the protection of their
traditional knowledge and their cultural and artistic heritage; to the
use, enjoyment and conservation of the natural renewable resources of
their habitat and to active participation in the design, implementation
and development of educational systems and programmes, including those
of a specific and characteristic nature; and where applicable to their
ancestrally inhabited land;
35. We
recognize that in many parts of the world, Africans and people of
African descent face barriers as a result of social biases and
discrimination prevailing in public and private institutions and express
our commitment to work towards the eradication of all forms of racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance faced by
Africans and people of African descent;
36. We
recognize that in many parts of the world, Asians and people of Asian
descent face barriers as a result of social biases and discrimination
prevailing in public and private institutions and express our commitment
to work towards the eradication of all forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance faced by Asians and
people of Asian descent;
37. We
note with appreciation that despite the racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance faced by them for centuries, people
of Asian descent have contributed and continue to contribute
significantly to the economic, social, political, scientific and
cultural life of the countries where they live;
38. We
call upon all States to review and, where necessary, revise any
immigration policies which are inconsistent with international human
rights instruments, with a view to eliminating all discriminatory
policies and practices against migrants, including Asians and people of
Asian descent;
39. We
recognize that the indigenous peoples have been victims of
discrimination for centuries and affirm that they are free and equal in
dignity and rights and should not suffer any discrimination,
particularly on the basis of their indigenous origin and identity, and
we stress the continuing need for action to overcome the persistent
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance that
affect them;
40. We
recognize the value and diversity of the cultures and the heritage of
indigenous peoples, whose singular contribution to the development and
cultural pluralism of society and full participation in all aspects of
society, in particular on issues that are of concern to them, are
fundamental for political and social stability, and for the development
of the States in which they live;
41. We
reiterate our conviction that the full realization by indigenous peoples
of their human rights and fundamental freedoms is indispensable for
eliminating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance. We firmly reiterate our determination to promote
their full and equal enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and
cultural rights, as well as the benefits of sustainable development,
while fully respecting their distinctive characteristics and their own
initiatives;
42. We
emphasize that, in order for indigenous peoples freely to express their
own identity and exercise their rights, they should be free from all
forms of discrimination, which necessarily entails respect for their
human rights and fundamental freedoms. Efforts are now being made
to secure universal recognition for those rights in the negotiations on
the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, including the
following: to call themselves by their own names; to participate
freely and on an equal footing in their country’s political, economic,
social and cultural development; to maintain their own forms of
organization, lifestyles, cultures and traditions; to maintain and use
their own languages; to maintain their own economic structures in the
areas where they live; to take part in the development of their
educational systems and programmes; to manage their lands and natural
resources, including hunting and fishing rights; and to have access to
justice on a basis of equality;
43. We
also recognize the special relationship that indigenous peoples have
with the land as the basis for their spiritual, physical and cultural
existence and encourage States, wherever possible, to ensure that
indigenous peoples are able to retain ownership of their lands and of
those natural resources to which they are entitled under domestic law;
44. We
welcome the decision to create the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
within the United Nations system, giving concrete expression to major
objectives of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous
People and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
45. We
welcome the appointment by the United Nations of the Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous
people and express our commitment to cooperate with the Special
Rapporteur;
46. We
recognize the positive economic, social and cultural contributions made
by migrants to both countries of origin and destination;
47. We
reaffirm the sovereign right of each State to formulate and apply its
own legal framework and policies for migration, and further affirm that
these policies should be consistent with applicable human rights
instruments, norms and standards, and designed to ensure that they are
free of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance;
48. We
note with concern and strongly condemn the manifestations and acts of
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
against migrants and the stereotypes often applied to them; reaffirm the
responsibility of States to protect the human rights of migrants under
their jurisdiction and reaffirm the responsibility of States to
safeguard and protect migrants against illegal or violent acts, in
particular acts of racial discrimination and crimes perpetrated with
racist or xenophobic motivation by individuals or groups; and stress the
need for their fair, just and equitable treatment in society and in the
workplace;
49. We
highlight the importance of creating conditions conducive to greater
harmony, tolerance and respect between migrants and the rest of society
in the countries in which they find themselves, in order to eliminate
manifestations of racism and xenophobia against migrants. We
underline that family reunification has a positive effect on integration
and emphasize the need for States to facilitate family reunion;
50. We
are mindful of the situation of vulnerability in which migrants
frequently find themselves, owing, inter alia, to their departure
from their countries of origin and to the difficulties they encounter
because of differences in language, customs and culture, as well as
economic and social difficulties and obstacles to the return of migrants
who are undocumented or in an irregular situation;
51. We
reaffirm the necessity of eliminating racial discrimination against
migrants, including migrant workers, in relation to issues such as
employment, social services, including education and health, as well as
access to justice, and that their treatment must be in accordance with
international human rights instruments, free from racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
52. We
note with concern that, among other factors, racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance contribute to forced
displacement and the movement of people from their countries of origin
as refugees and asylum-seekers;
53. We
recognize with concern that, despite efforts to combat racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, instances of various
forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance against refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced
persons, among others, continue;
54. We
underline the urgency of addressing the root causes of displacement and
of finding durable solutions for refugees and displaced persons, in
particular voluntary return in safety and dignity to the countries of
origin, as well as resettlement in third countries and local
integration, when and where appropriate and feasible;
55. We
affirm our commitment to respect and implement humanitarian obligations
relating to the protection of refugees, asylum-seekers, returnees and
internally displaced persons, and note in this regard the importance of
international solidarity, burden-sharing and international cooperation
to share responsibility for the protection of refugees, reaffirming that
the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967
Protocol remain the foundation of the international refugee regime and
recognizing the importance of their full application by States parties;
56. We
recognize the presence in many countries of a Mestizo population of
mixed ethnic and racial origins and its valuable contribution to the
promotion of tolerance and respect in these societies, and we condemn
discrimination against them, especially because such discrimination may
be denied owing to its subtle nature;
57. We
are conscious of the fact that the history of humanity is replete with
major atrocities as a result of gross violations of human rights and
believe that lessons can be learned through remembering history to avert
future tragedies;
58. We
recall that the Holocaust must never be forgotten;
59. We
recognize with deep concern religious intolerance against certain
religious communities, as well as the emergence of hostile acts and
violence against such communities because of their religious beliefs and
their racial or ethnic origin in various parts of the world which in
particular limit their right to freely practise their belief;
60. We
also recognize with deep concern the existence in various parts of the
world of religious intolerance against religious communities and their
members, in particular limitation of their right to practise their
beliefs freely, as well as the emergence of increased negative
stereotyping, hostile acts and violence against such communities because
of their religious beliefs and their ethnic or so-called racial origin;
61. We
recognize with deep concern the increase in anti-Semitism and
Islamophobia in various parts of the world, as well as the emergence of
racial and violent movements based on racism and discriminatory ideas
against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities;
62. We
are conscious that humanity’s history is replete with terrible wrongs
inflicted through lack of respect for the equality of human beings and
note with alarm the increase of such practices in various parts of the
world, and we urge people, particularly in conflict situations, to
desist from racist incitement, derogatory language and negative
stereotyping;
63. We
are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign
occupation. We recognize the inalienable right of the Palestinian people
to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State
and we recognize the right to security for all States in the region,
including Israel, and call upon all States to support the peace process
and bring it to an early conclusion;
64. We
call for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region in which
all peoples shall co-exist and enjoy equality, justice and
internationally recognized human rights, and security;
65. We
recognize the right of refugees to return voluntarily to their homes and
properties in dignity and safety, and urge all States to facilitate such
return;
66. We
affirm that the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of
minorities, where they exist, must be protected and that persons
belonging to such minorities should be treated equally and enjoy their
human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination of any
kind;
67. We
recognize that members of certain groups with a distinct cultural
identity face barriers arising from a complex interplay of ethnic,
religious and other factors, as well as their traditions and customs,
and call upon States to ensure that measures, policies and programmes
aimed at eradicating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance address the barriers that this interplay of factors
creates;
68. We
recognize with deep concern the ongoing manifestations of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including violence,
against Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers and recognize the need to develop
effective policies and implementation mechanisms for their full
achievement of equality;
69. We
are convinced that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance reveal themselves in a differentiated manner for women and
girls, and can be among the factors leading to a deterioration in their
living conditions, poverty, violence, multiple forms of discrimination,
and the limitation or denial of their human rights. We recognize
the need to integrate a gender perspective into relevant policies,
strategies and programmes of action against racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in order to address
multiple forms of discrimination;
70. We
recognize the need to develop a more systematic and consistent approach
to evaluating and monitoring racial discrimination against women, as
well as the disadvantages, obstacles and difficulties women face in the
full exercise and enjoyment of their civil, political, economic, social
and cultural rights because of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance;
71. We
deplore attempts to oblige women belonging to certain faiths and
religious minorities to forego their cultural and religious identity, or
to restrict their legitimate expression, or to discriminate against them
with regard to opportunities for education and employment;
72. We
note with concern the large number of children and young people,
particularly girls, among the victims of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance and stress the need to incorporate
special measures, in accordance with the principle of the best interests
of the child and respect for his or her views, in programmes to combat
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in
order to give priority attention to the rights and the situation of
children and young people who are victims of these practices;
73. We
recognize that a child belonging to an ethnic, religious or linguistic
minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right,
individually or in community with other members of his or her group, to
enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own
religion, or to use his or her own language;
74. We
recognize that child labour is linked to poverty, lack of development
and related socio-economic conditions and could in some cases perpetuate
poverty and racial discrimination by disproportionately denying children
from affected groups the opportunity to acquire the human capabilities
needed in productive life and to benefit from economic growth;
75. We
note with deep concern the fact that, in many countries, people infected
or affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as those who are presumed to be
infected, belong to groups vulnerable to racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance, which has a negative impact and
impedes their access to health care and medication;
Programme of Action
Victims: General
3. Urges
States to work nationally and in cooperation with other States and
relevant regional and international organizations and programmes to
strengthen national mechanisms to promote and protect the human rights
of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance who are infected, or presumably infected, with pandemic
diseases such as HIV/AIDS and to take concrete measures, including
preventive action, appropriate access to medication and treatment,
programmes of education, training and mass media dissemination, to
eliminate violence, stigmatization, discrimination, unemployment and
other negative consequences arising from these pandemics;
African and African Descendent
4. Urges
States to facilitate the participation of people of African descent in
all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in
the advancement and economic development of their countries, and to
promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their heritage and
culture;
5. Requests
States, supported by international cooperation as appropriate, to
consider positively concentrating additional investments in healthcare
systems, education, public health, electricity, drinking water and
environmental control, as well as other affirmative or positive action
initiatives, in communities of primarily African descent;
6. Calls
upon the United Nations, international financial and development
institutions and other appropriate international mechanisms to develop
capacity-building programmes intended for Africans and people of African
descent in the Americas and around the world;
7. Requests
the Commission on Human Rights to consider establishing a working group
or other mechanism of the United Nations to study the problems of racial
discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the African
Diaspora and make proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination
against people of African descent;
8. Urges
financial and development institutions and the operational programmes
and specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their
regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies:
(a) To
assign particular priority, and allocate sufficient funding, within
their areas of competence and budgets, to improving the situation of
Africans and people of African descent, while devoting special attention
to the needs of these populations in developing countries, inter alia
through the preparation of specific programmes of action;
(b) To
carry out special projects, through appropriate channels and in
collaboration with Africans and people of African descent, to support
their initiatives at the community level and to facilitate the exchange
of information and technical knowhow between these populations and
experts in these areas;
(c) To
develop programmes intended for people of African descent allocating
additional investments to health systems, education, housing,
electricity, drinking water and environmental control measures and
promoting equal opportunities in employment, as well as other
affirmative or positive action initiatives;
9. Requests
States to increase public actions and policies in favour of women and
young males of African descent, given that racism affects them more
deeply, placing them in a more marginalized and disadvantaged situation;
10. Urges
States to ensure access to education and promote access to new
technologies that would offer Africans and people of African descent, in
particular women and children, adequate resources for education,
technological development and longdistance learning in local
communities, and further urges States to promote the full and accurate
inclusion of the history and contribution of Africans and people of
African descent in the education curriculum;
11. Encourages
States to identify factors which prevent equal access to, and the
equitable presence of, people of African descent at all levels of the
public sector, including the public service, and in particular the
administration of justice, and to take appropriate measures to remove
the obstacles identified and also to encourage the private sector to
promote equal access to, and the equitable presence of, people of
African descent at all levels within their organizations;
12. Calls
upon States to take specific steps to ensure full and effective
access to the justice system for all individuals,
particularly those of African descent;
13. Urges
States, in accordance with international human rights standards and
their respective domestic legal framework, to resolve problems of
ownership of ancestral lands inhabited for generations by people of
African descent and to promote the productive utilization of land and
the comprehensive development of these communities, respecting their
culture and their specific forms of decisionmaking;
14. Urges
States to recognize the particularly severe problems of religious
prejudice and intolerance that many people of African descent experience
and to implement policies and measures that are designed to prevent and
eliminate all such discrimination on the basis of religion and belief,
which, when combined with certain other forms of discrimination,
constitutes a form of multiple discrimination;
15. Urges
States:
(a) To
adopt or continue to apply, in concert with them, constitutional,
administrative, legislative, judicial and all necessary measures to
promote, protect and ensure the enjoyment by indigenous peoples of their
rights, as well as to guarantee them the exercise of their human rights
and fundamental freedoms on the basis of equality, non-discrimination
and full and free participation in all areas of society, in particular
in matters affecting or concerning their interests;
(b) To
promote better knowledge of and respect for indigenous cultures and
heritage;
and welcomes measures already taken by States in these respects;
16. Urges
States to work with indigenous peoples to stimulate their access to
economic activities and increase their level of employment, where
appropriate, through the establishment, acquisition or expansion by
indigenous peoples of enterprises, and the implementation of measures
such as training, the provision of technical assistance and credit
facilities;
17. Urges
States to work with indigenous peoples to establish and implement
programmes that provide access to training and services that could
benefit the development of their communities;
18. Requests
States to adopt public policies and give impetus to programmes on behalf
of and in concert with indigenous women and girls, with a view to
promoting their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights;
to putting an end to their situation of disadvantage for reasons of
gender and ethnicity; to dealing with urgent problems affecting them in
regard to education, their physical and mental health, economic life and
in the matter of violence against them, including domestic violence; and
to eliminating the situation of aggravated discrimination suffered by
indigenous women and girls on multiple grounds of racism and gender
discrimination;
19. Recommends
that States examine, in conformity with relevant international human
rights instruments, norms and standards, their Constitutions, laws,
legal systems and policies in order to identify and eradicate racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance towards
indigenous peoples and individuals, whether implicit, explicit or
inherent;
20. Calls
upon concerned States to honour and respect their treaties and
agreements with indigenous peoples and to accord them due recognition
and observance;
21. Calls
upon States to give full and appropriate consideration to the
recommendations produced by indigenous peoples in their own forums on
the World Conference;
22. Requests
States:
(a) To
develop and, where they already exist, support institutional mechanisms
to promote the accomplishment of the objectives and measures relating to
indigenous peoples agreed in this Programme of Action;
(b) To
promote, in concert with indigenous organizations, local authorities and
nongovernmental organizations, actions aimed at overcoming racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against
indigenous peoples and to make regular assessments of the progress
achieved in this regard;
(c) To
promote understanding among society at large of the importance of
special measures to overcome disadvantages faced by indigenous peoples;
(d) To
consult indigenous representatives in the process of decision-making
concerning policies and measures that directly affect them;
23. Calls
upon States to recognize the particular challenges faced by
indigenous peoples and individuals living in urban environments and
urges States to implement effective strategies to combat the racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance they
encounter, paying particular attention to opportunities for their
continued practice of their traditional, cultural, linguistic and
spiritual ways of life;
24. Requests
all States to combat manifestations of a generalized rejection of
migrants and actively to discourage all racist demonstrations and acts
that generate xenophobic behaviour and negative sentiments towards, or
rejection of, migrants;
25. Invites
international and national non-governmental organizations to include
monitoring and protection of the human rights of migrants in their
programmes and activities and to sensitize Governments and increase
public awareness in all States about the need to prevent racist acts and
manifestations of discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
against migrants;
26. Requests
States to promote and protect fully and effectively the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of all migrants, in conformity with the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and their obligations under international
human rights instruments, regardless of the migrants’ immigration
status;
27. Encourages
States to promote education on the human rights of migrants and to
engage in information campaigns to ensure that the public receives
accurate information regarding migrants and migration issues, including
the positive contribution of migrants to the host society and the
vulnerability of migrants, particularly those who are in an irregular
situation;
28. Calls
upon States to facilitate family reunification in an expeditious and
effective manner which has a positive effect on integration of migrants,
with due regard for the desire of many family members to have an
independent status;
29. Urges
States to take concrete measures that would eliminate racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the workplace
against all workers, including migrants, and ensure the full equality of
all before the law, including labour law, and further urges States to
eliminate barriers, where appropriate, to: participating in
vocational training, collective bargaining, employment, contracts and
trade union activity; accessing judicial and administrative tribunals
dealing with grievances; seeking employment in different parts of their
country of residence; and working in safe and healthy conditions;
30. Urges
States:
(a) To
develop and implement policies and action plans, and to reinforce and
implement preventive measures, in order to foster greater harmony and
tolerance between migrants and host societies, with the aim of
eliminating manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance, including acts of violence, perpetrated in many
societies by individuals or groups;
(b) To
review and revise, where necessary, their immigration laws, policies and
practices so that they are free of racial discrimination and compatible
with States’ obligations under international human rights instruments;
(c) To
implement specific measures involving the host community and migrants in
order to encourage respect for cultural diversity, to promote the fair
treatment of migrants and to develop programmes, where appropriate, that
facilitate their integration into social, cultural, political and
economic life;
(d) To
ensure that migrants, regardless of their immigration status, detained
by public authorities are treated with humanity and in a fair manner,
and receive effective legal protection and, where appropriate, the
assistance of a competent interpreter in accordance with the relevant
norms of international law and human rights standards, particularly
during interrogation;
(e) To
ensure that the police and immigration authorities treat migrants in a
dignified and non-discriminatory manner, in accordance with
international standards, through, inter alia, organizing
specialized training courses for administrators, police officers,
immigration officials and other interested groups;
(f) To
consider the question of promoting the recognition of the educational,
professional and technical credentials of migrants, with a view to
maximizing their contribution to their new States of residence;
(g) To
take all possible measures to promote the full enjoyment by all migrants
of all human rights, including those related to fair wages and equal
remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind,
and to the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness,
disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond their control, social security, including social
insurance, access to education, health care, social services and respect
for their cultural identity;
(h) To
consider adopting and implementing immigration policies and programmes
that would enable immigrants, in particular women and children who are
victims of spousal or domestic violence, to free themselves from abusive
relationships;
31. Urges
States, in the light of the increased proportion of women migrants, to
place special focus on gender issues, including gender discrimination,
particularly when the multiple barriers faced by migrant women
intersect; detailed research should be undertaken not only in respect of
human rights violations perpetrated against women migrants, but also on
the contribution they make to the economies of their countries of origin
and their host countries, and the findings should be included in reports
to treaty bodies;
32. Urges
States to recognize the same economic opportunities and responsibilities
to documented long-term migrants as to other members of society;
33. Recommends
that host countries of migrants consider the provision of adequate
social services, in particular in the areas of health, education and
adequate housing, as a matter of priority, in cooperation with the
United Nations agencies, the regional organizations and international
financial bodies; also requests that these agencies provide an adequate
response to requests for such services;
34. Urges
States to comply with their obligations under international human
rights, refugee and humanitarian law relating to refugees,
asylum-seekers and displaced persons, and urges the international
community to provide them with protection and assistance in an equitable
manner and with due regard to their needs in different parts of the
world, in keeping with principles of international solidarity,
burden-sharing and international cooperation, to share responsibilities;
35. Calls
upon States to recognize the racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance that refugees may face as they
endeavour to engage in the life of the societies of their host countries
and encourages States, in accordance with their international
obligations and commitments, to develop strategies to address this
discrimination and to facilitate the full enjoyment of the human rights
of refugees. States parties should ensure that all measures
relating to refugees must be in full accordance with the 1951 Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol;
36. Urges
States to take effective steps to protect refugee and internally
displaced women and girls from violence, to investigate any such
violations and to bring those responsible to justice, in collaboration,
when appropriate, with the relevant and competent organizations;
Other Victims
37. Urges
States to take all possible measures to ensure that all persons, without
any discrimination, are registered and have access to the necessary
documentation reflecting their legal identity to enable them to benefit
from available legal procedures, remedies and development opportunities,
as well as to reduce the incidence of trafficking;
38. Recognizes
that victims of trafficking are particularly exposed to racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. States shall
ensure that all measures taken against trafficking in persons, in
particular those that affect the victims of such trafficking, are
consistent with internationally recognized principles of
non-discrimination, including the prohibition of racial discrimination
and the availability of appropriate legal redress;
39. Calls
upon States to ensure that Roma/Gypsy/Sinti/Traveller children and
youth, especially girls, are given equal access to education and that
educational curricula at all levels, including complementary programmes
on intercultural education, which might, inter alia, include
opportunities for them to learn the official languages in the pre-school
period and to recruit Roma/Gypsy/Sinti/Traveller teachers and classroom
assistants in order for such children and youth to learn their mother
tongue, are sensitive and responsive to their needs;
40. Encourages
States to adopt appropriate and concrete policies and measures, to
develop implementation mechanisms, where these do not already exist, and
to exchange experiences, in cooperation with representatives of the
Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers, in order to eradicate discrimination
against them, enable them to achieve equality and ensure their full
enjoyment of all their human rights, as recommended in the case of the
Roma by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its
general recommendation XXVII, so that their needs are met;
41. Recommends
that the intergovernmental organizations address, as appropriate, in
their projects of cooperation with and assistance to various States, the
situation of the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers and promote their
economic, social and cultural advancement;
42. Calls
upon States and encourages non-governmental organizations to raise
awareness about the racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance experienced by the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers,
and to promote knowledge and respect for their culture and history;
43. Encourages
the media to promote equal access to and participation in the media for
the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers, as well as to protect them from
racist, stereotypical and discriminatory media reporting, and calls upon
States to facilitate the media’s efforts in this regard;
44. Invites
States to design policies aimed at combating racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance that are based on
reliable statistical data recognizing the concerns identified in
consultation with the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers themselves
reflecting as accurately as possible their status in society. All
such information shall be collected in accordance with provisions on
human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection
regulations and privacy guarantees, and in consultation with the persons
concerned;
45. Encourages
States to address the problems of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance against people of Asian descent and
urges States to take all necessary measures to eliminate the barriers
that such persons face in participating in economic, social, cultural
and political life;
46. Urges
States to ensure within their jurisdiction that persons belonging to
national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities can exercise
fully and effectively all human rights and fundamental freedoms without
any discrimination and in full equality before the law, and also urges
States and the international community to promote and protect the rights
of such persons;
47. Urges
States to guarantee the rights of persons belonging to national or
ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, individually or in
community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture,
to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own
language, in private and in public, freely and without interference, and
to participate effectively in the cultural, social, economic and
political life of the country in which they live, in order to protect
them from any form of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance that they are or may be subjected to;
48. Urges
States to recognize the effect that discrimination, marginalization and
social exclusion have had and continue to have on many racial groups
living in a numerically based minority situation within a State, and to
ensure that persons in such groups can exercise, as individual members
of such groups, fully and effectively, all human rights and fundamental
freedoms without distinction and in full equality before the law, and to
take, where applicable, appropriate measures in respect of employment,
housing and education with a view to preventing racial discrimination;
49. Urges
States to take, where applicable, appropriate measures to prevent racial
discrimination against persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities in respect of employment, health
care, housing, social services and education, and in this context forms
of multiple discrimination should be taken into account;
50. Urges
States to incorporate a gender perspective in all programmes of action
against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance and to consider the burden of such discrimination which
falls particularly on indigenous women, African women, Asian women,
women of African descent, women of Asian descent, women migrants and
women from other disadvantaged groups, ensuring their access to the
resources of production on an equal footing with men, as a means of
promoting their participation in the economic and productive development
of their communities;
51. Urges
States to involve women, especially women victims of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in decision-making
at all levels when working towards the eradication of such
discrimination, and to develop concrete measures to incorporate race and
gender analysis in the implementation of all aspects of the Programme of
Action and national plans of action, particularly in the fields of
employment programmes and services and resource allocation;
52. Recognizing
that poverty shapes economic and social status and establishes obstacles
to the effective political participation of women and men in different
ways and to different extents, urges States to undertake gender
analyses of all economic and social policies and programmes, especially
poverty eradication measures, including those designed and implemented
to benefit those individuals or groups of individuals who are victims of
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
53. Urges
States and encourages all sectors of society to empower women and girls
who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance, so that they can fully exercise their rights in all spheres
of public and private life, and to ensure the full, equal and effective
participation of women in decision-making at all levels, in particular
in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies and measures
which affect their lives;
54. Urges
States:
(a) To
recognize that sexual violence which has been systematically used as a
weapon of war, sometimes with the acquiescence or at the instigation of
the State, is a serious violation of international humanitarian law
that, in defined circumstances, constitutes a crime against humanity
and/or a war crime, and that the intersection of discrimination on
grounds of race and gender makes women and girls particularly vulnerable
to this type of violence, which is often related to racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
(b) To
end impunity and prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity
and war crimes, including crimes related to sexual and other
gender-based violence against women and girls, as well as to ensure that
persons in authority who are responsible for such crimes, including by
committing, ordering, soliciting, inducing, aiding in, abetting,
assisting or in any other way contributing to their commission or
attempted commission, are identified, investigated, prosecuted and
punished;
55. Requests
States, in collaboration where necessary with international
organizations, having the best interests of the child as a primary
consideration, to provide protection against racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against children,
especially those in circumstances of particular vulnerability, and to
pay special attention to the situation of such children when designing
relevant policies, strategies and programmes;
56. Urges
States, in accordance with their national law and their obligations
under the relevant international instruments, to take all measures to
the maximum extent of their available resources to guarantee, without
any discrimination, the equal right of all children to the immediate
registration of birth, in order to enable them to exercise their human
rights and fundamental freedoms. States shall grant women equal
rights with men with respect to nationality;
57. Urges
States and international and regional organizations, and encourages
nongovernmental organizations and the private sector, to address the
situation of persons with disabilities who are also subject to racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; also urges
States to take necessary measures to ensure their full enjoyment of all
human rights and to facilitate their full integration into all fields
of life;
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